Contacts: Zite Hutton, WWU College of Business & Economics, Zite.Hutton@wwu.edu or (360) 650-4889.
BELLINGHAM - Western Washington University Professor of Accounting Marguerite "Zite" Hutton has received the 2009 American Taxation Association (ATA) / Deloitte Teaching Innovation Award.
The $5,000 award is presented by the ATA and "Big 4" accounting firm Deloitte to encourage innovation in tax education. The award will be presented at the American Accounting Association Meeting in August in New York.
"This is a national recognition for something that we've long known, that Zite is a truly gifted, innovative teacher," said George Sanders, chair of WWU's Department of Accounting.
Hutton, who also received the ATA Teaching Innovation Award in 2000, won this year's award for "Tax Court in the Classroom."
"Tax Court" is an exercise in Hutton's senior accounting course, "Tax Research and Planning." In this exercise students research a tax issue, analytically plan a strategy for arguing the issue and finally debate against other students in a mock tax court. While a judge evaluates each case, each student's grade is determined by their peers based upon the clarity and persuasiveness of their presentation. Mock tax court has significantly improved students' research, communication and analytical skills, Hutton said.
"I view teaching as an adventure. My challenge is to present information and learning tools in a way which maximizes student understanding and learning. It is an honor to have my efforts recognized by the American Taxation Association," Hutton said.
Hutton, a former IRS revenue agent, has been a WWU faculty member since 1989, and is a College of Business and Economics Distinguished Teaching Fellow. She received her doctorate from the University of Houston, and her bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Texas at Arlington. She has received numerous awards, including Western's Excellence in Teaching Award in 1992, the College of Business and Economics Excellence in Teaching Award in 2002, the Allette & Cayden Chase Franklin Excellence in Teaching Award for the College of Business and Economics in 2005 and the Washington Society of CPAs 2005 Award for Outstanding Accounting Educator. She served as chair of the WWU Department of Accounting from 1998 until 2002.
The American Taxation Association is an organization created to provide tax information and education to the public. The ATA is composed primarily of tax professors, and is the tax section of the American Accounting Association.
For more information, contact Zite Hutton at Zite.Hutton@wwu.edu or (360) 650-4889. For more information on the ATA, visit the ATA website at http://aaahq.org/ata/.
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